Good news: Philadelphia Phillies has agreed to.....

Guardians Sign Former Pitcher for the Phillies

A former pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies has agreed to a one-year contract with the Cleveland Guardians.

In the first few days of the MLB offseason, the Cleveland Guardians have not said much. Though nothing has been done as of yet, there have been rumors that they could move pieces.

Cleveland needs pitching support if they want to qualify for the postseason in 2024.

According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, the team announced on Tuesday that they had signed former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ben Lively to a Major League contract worth $750,000 for a single year.

In his big-league career, Lively has pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals. He spent the 2017 and part of the 2018 seasons with the Phillies. MLB teams value the right-hander’s versatility as a starter and reliever.

After posting an ERA of 5.38 and a WHIP of 1.36 last year, Lively’s struggles weren’t as severe as they appeared to be. In four innings during a start against the Chicago Cubs, he allowed 13 earned runs to be scored. Before that, he had a 3.76 ERA going into the game and a 5.20 ERA when he left.

That was in August, so for the most part of the season, he was above average.

Lively has occasionally shown promise, as evidenced by his 88 2/3 innings pitched last season when he struck out 79 batters and walked 25.

His record was 4-7 with an ERA of 4.26 while he was in Philadelphia. The 2018 season saw Lively pitch in five games and record a 6.85 ERA.

While the Philadelphia Phillies are still looking to add some pieces this offseason, one of their insiders says don’t expect them to sign another starter.

The Philadelphia Phillies and their chat with highly sought-after free agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto produced some exciting news.

Before Aaron Nola committed to a long-term contract with the Phillies, there were rumors that the front office was keen to sign the 25-year-old Japanese sensation.

Following the issuance of a seven-year, $172 million contract that appears to be significantly less than what Yamamoto will now receive, Philadelphia is now perceived as a team that may add a few minor players, if any at all.

Essentially, Matt Gelb of The Athletic stated as much in response to some mailbag inquiries regarding the addition of more starting pitchers.